Background: The Charlestowne Shops shopping center in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset: Marquis Byers (Shelby County Sheriff”s Office).
A Tennessee woman’s attempt to reclaim her daughter’s stolen Hyundai Sonata took a dangerous turn when she was shot multiple times at a shopping center, according to officials.
Authorities have charged 23-year-old Marquis Byers with aggravated assault related to the incident, as reported by Law&Crime. Byers is currently detained at the Shelby County Jail, with bail set at $125,000.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday when the woman spotted the stolen 2011 Hyundai Sonata at the Charlestowne Shops on Mount Moriah Road Extension in Memphis. Eager to retrieve the vehicle, she approached it, per court documents cited by local CBS affiliate WREG.
To prevent the Sonata from being driven away, the mother strategically parked her car to block it. She then entered the Sonata and was attempting to open the hood when gunshots suddenly rang out.
Both of her legs were struck by bullets.
After the shooting, the woman reportedly saw two men fleeing the scene in a black BMW. She immediately called 911, and Memphis police quickly responded to the emergency call.
Officers are said to have tied two tourniquets to the mother’s legs to stop her bleeding from the gunshot wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital in non-critical condition.
Officers reviewed nearby surveillance footage and said they saw a black-clothed man — alleged to be Byers — get out of the BMW, approach the driver’s door of the Sonata, and fire several shots, hitting the mother in the legs.
A woman then exited the BMW and confronted Byers, authorities said. Another man grabbed the gun that Byers allegedly dropped, and the two men left.
The woman reportedly stayed behind to help the shooting victim.
The BMW was tied to Byers and his two associates, who were not charged as of Thursday, WREG reported. Byers was arrested and booked into jail.
He appeared in court this week. It is unclear when he is set to return.
